Secondary Transition

Families: SEB

The transition from high school to college or career is a pivotal point in time for all students, but it is especially critical for students with disabilities. Working toward CCRS can support all students in successfully preparing for life after high school graduation.

By the time a student receiving special education reaches the age of 16 his or her IEP must include measurable post-secondary goals related to training, education, employment, and when appropriate, independent living skills. Students of this age who receive special education services must be invited to attend their IEP meetings and should be encouraged to actively participate in the meeting to identify career interests and strengths in preparation for post school employment and/or postsecondary education.

Explore the resources below for ideas on how to promote successful transitions and information on the current post-secondary outcomes among students with disabilities.

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) is developing resources regarding Family Involvement and Family Expectations and preparation for post-school success, along with this Annotated Bibliography on the topic.

CTD is designed to increase the capacity of families and providers to advocate for, acquire, and implement effective assistive and instructional technology (AT/IT) practices, devices, and services. CTD provides a Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition Planning.

DCDT A division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) with the mission of promoting national and international efforts to improve the quality of and access to, career/vocational and transition services, increasing the participation of education in career development and transition goals and influencing policies affecting career development and transition services for persons with disabilities.

National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning provides a host of resources for SEAs, LEAs, families and educators to promote knowledge development and capacity building to ensure equitable opportunities for children with disabilities to transition to postsecondary education and the workforce.

IRIS Center has modules, briefs, and practice guides for educators and families on how to support a successful transition. The Center offers a wide variety of free, online resources about evidence-based instructional and intervention practices, including modules, practice guides and research summaries developed in collaboration with nationally-recognized researchers and education experts, to support the education of all children, particularly those with disabilities. See the “Resources Locator” for information on how to support a successful transition.

CIPR connects you with resources, including tip sheets to help teachers and families support teens as they prepare to reach the age of majority. The following links are an example of the resources you can find on the CIPR site:

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This document was produced under U.S. Department of Education Contract No. ED-OSE-14-O-0132/Order No. GS-10F-0112J with the American Institutes for Research. Renee Bradley served as the contracting officer's representative. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned on this Web site or on Web sites referred to herein is intended or should be inferred.